Suzuki and the Foundation heard us. Over 2,400 people sent a letter demanding Suzuki withdraw from the event, and he did. But that is not all that was requested. We also highlighted the Foundation’s connections to pro-Israel donors. Stephen Bronfman has been on the board of the Suzuki Foundation for 30 years. Bronfman’s foundation — the Claudine And Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation — has donated over $8.2 million to the Suzuki Foundation since 2000.
Stephen Bronfman is part of the famous Bronfman family who has close ties to Israel and has shown consistent support for the Israeli settler-colonial, apartheid regime. He is connected with Birthright Israel, an organization co-founded by his father in 1994. One of Stephen Bronfman’s own charities — the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation – has donated over $23 million to charities involved in the Canada to Israel Charity Pipeline. This includes over $16 million to Federation CJA, over $2.5 million to Birthright Israel, and nearly $2 million to the Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal. Bronfman also has significant tech investments in Israel. Le Caisse previously had a joint venture with Bronfman’s company Claridge (Claridge Israel) but wanted out after pressure from the Palestine solidarity movement. Read more including who donates to Stephen Bronfman’s charity, and who the charity funds.
We have emailed the Suzuki Foundation to request a meeting to discuss this further. It is not enough to cancel one speaking event. The Foundation’s ties to donors who actively support Israel’s Crimes. The impact of Israel’s genocide and ongoing illegal occupation on the Palestinian people is too immense for words. The impact of Israel’s actions on the earth and climate are grave. Not just because they exacerbate climate change, but because they (intentionally) make Palestine unlivable, as another method of ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and genocide. We ask the Foundation to take real action and end ties with all individuals and organizations supporting the genocide of the Palestinian people.
.png)
